By Gloria Abugu
The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a motion calling on the State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to direct the Head of Service, Barr. Theodora Okwy Igwegbe and the Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Barr.Gloria Vin Ezeaka, to conduct a comprehensive staff and personnel audit across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state.
The Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze who presided over the plenary said that the motion was adopted by the members of the House .
The motion was sponsored by Hon. Mimi Azikwe, representing Onitsha North I Constituency, and was seconded by Hon. Johnbosco Akaegbobi.
Hon. Azikiwe explained that a staff and personnel audit is a systematic and comprehensive review of an organisation’s human resources policies and practices aimed at assessing effectiveness and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory standard.
She noted that the objective of the audit is to identify strengths and weaknesses within the workforce, align manpower capacity with organisational goals, and promote a more productive work environment.
According to her, such an audit provides critical insights into workforce planning, employee relations, skills assessment, training needs and institutional gaps, while serving as a tool for workforce optimisation to enhance accountability and efficiency across MDAs.
“The last comprehensive staff audit in Anambra State was conducted in 2018, making a new exercise necessary.
She added that a staff audit would strengthen performance management by identifying policy gaps, procedural lapses and organisational weaknesses, while improving human resource effectiveness through better communication, conflict resolution and employee relations.
Azikiwe further explained that proper documentation and review of employee records would ensure accuracy, transparency and compliance, while recommendations from the audit would help improve policies, procedures and training programmes to meet evolving institutional needs.
She listed the benefits of a staff audit to include regulatory compliance, reduction of legal risks, improved productivity, stronger employee engagement, better decision-making and cost savings.
The motion was supported by Hon. Noble Igwe, saying that the audit would help the state identify the strengths and weaknesses of its workforce, encourage diligent workers, and address cases where some staff have abandoned their duty posts for other businesses.
He added that the exercise would help determine whether there is a need for new employment or staff redeployment to improve operational efficiency.
Also contributing, Hon. Chuddy Atuchukwu, representing Nnewi South Constituency 1, said the audit would assist both the state and local governments to identify areas of staff shortages, facilitate proper posting and transfers, and determine workforce needs.
He noted that the exercise would also help uncover ghost workers, verify staff status, and ensure that only legitimate employees are on the government payroll.
Following deliberations, the motion was unanimously adopted by the House and subsequently passed, when the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly put it into voice votes.
Gloria is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
